


Her Weakness

by KJMusings



Series: Her Weakness [1]
Category: Wicked - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-05 21:57:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13397070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KJMusings/pseuds/KJMusings
Summary: As she watches Elphaba dancing alone at Oz Dust, Galinda is wracked with guilt and is determined to make it right.





	Her Weakness

**Author's Note:**

> This is something that came to me after reading numerous stories and wikipedia as well as various YouTube clips. I've never actually seen the musical or read the book so I'm taking a huge amount of liberty and as I know this scene diverges greatly from what really happened, I'm calling this AU. I just keep seeing poor Elphaba alone at the dance and putting myself in Galinda's strappy shoes and this popped into my head. Please forgive the artistic license and any errors. P.S. I also did some reading about water allergies and was surprised that this is a real thing. It's rare but I can't even imagine what these people go through.

Elphaba Thropp was no stranger to humiliation.  There had never been a day in her life that she hadn’t been laughed at and taunted as if she was just a tall green thing instead of a person with ears and feelings. Her own father and sister could barely stand the sight of her so she had quickly built the thickest of walls to protect herself.  Those walls had stood strong and impenetrable through childhood and her early days at Shiz as she stoically endured endless pranks and laughter from the other students, including her unwanted and entirely too perky roommate, but now, those very walls threatened to collapse around her.  

She should have known better, Elphaba thought bitterly, as she stood in the middle of the party that her roommate Galinda Upland had convinced her to attend, wearing the stupid pointy hat the same Galinda had persuaded her to wear.   She had known, even as the blonde was listing all the reasons Elphaba should go against every instinct she had and attend this stupid dance, that there was something not quite right.  Galinda had been a bit too insistent and her smile a bit too forced for it to be completely sincere, but then the blonde had placed a hand on her arm and Elphaba felt the first crack in her defenses.  Nobody willingly touched her. Ever, and as Elphaba had looked into those bright blue eyes, and she found herself reluctantly agreeing, not sure why the bubbly blonde’s resulting smile caused a flutter in her belly.   

Now, as she stood amongst dozens of students all laughing at her, watching her own sister turn away in shame, Elphaba found her hard fought composure starting to break and she struggled to contain the tears she felt stinging her eyes.  It was only when she met the guilty, horrified expression of the girl she should have known better than to trust, that she was able to fight the shame that washed through her.  She would not give Galinda Upland or anyone else the satisfaction of seeing her cry and she wouldn’t give them the added ammunition of knowing that tears physically hurt her. 

* * * * * *

By the time she’d arrived at the dance, Galinda Upland had forgotten all about Elphaba Thropp and the ugly hat she’d given her.  As soon as she entered the ballroom, her friends had accosted her and they were soon joined by that handsome prince Fiyero.  She was in her element, having everyone’s attention focused on her and hanging on her every word, but something was different.  She didn’t feel as happy as she had expected.  In fact, she felt…empty and she didn’t know why.  Suddenly, the music stopped and titters turned into loud bursts of laughter drawing Galinda and her friend’s attention.   Galinda’s heart stopped when she saw the familiar green visage of her roommate standing by herself, stiff against the loud laughter and insults being thrown at her as she realized she’d been tricked.  For a moment, there was a terrible expression of humiliation and hurt on Elphaba’s face before it was replaced by an indifference that wouldn’t fool anyone who was looking closely and Galinda was looking closely.  Tears sprung to her own eyes as she realized that she alone had finally broken the proud young woman and for the first time that she could remember, she was hit by a wave of guilt so powerful it was an actual ache in her chest.   What had she done? What had her desire for popularity driven her to that she would so cruelly disgrace a girl who had never done anything to deserve it?

Just then, Elphaba turned her head and looked right at Galinda and Galinda’ knees nearly buckled at the hatred that crossed the usually emotionless face.  The dark look was quickly replaced by am unexpected derisive smirk as Elphaba started to dance.  It was a painful sight to see, not just because of the blatant despair in her eyes warring with the indifferent sneer on her lips, but also because it was obvious to all who watched, including Galinda that the tall, skinny girl had never danced before.  The laughter grew louder and the pain in Galinda’s chest grew sharper.

“Oh Galinda, this is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Galinda jumped at the sudden voice beside her and she tore her eyes away from the heartbreaking sight of Elphaba dancing alone to glare at the three girls who hadn’t left her side.

“What’s so funny Pfanee?” she asked shortly.

“Who knew an artichoke could dance,” Shenshen tittered, drawing laughter from the other girls and, to Galinda’s disappointment, even Fiyero joined in.

“It can’t,” Milla added, earning even louder squeals of laughter as they pointed at Elphaba’s stilted movements.

Galinda ignored them as she continued to watch Elphaba, finding herself captivated.  While others saw a gangly green girl flailing about and embarrassing herself, Galinda saw a young woman swaying with an awkward seductiveness that Galinda hadn’t even suspected she possessed.  She found it…beautiful.

“This was your best prank yet Galinda,” Pfanee laughed. 

“If we’re lucky, this will force the green bean to accept she isn’t wanted here and she’ll leave.”  Shenshen added.

Guilt and regret were eating at Galinda as she thought back to every act, every word of cruelty she’d thrown at her roommate from the moment they’d met.  None of it had broken the other girl. None of it had even appeared to shake her, but looking at Elphaba now, Galinda was able to think back to those times and she finally saw the flinch that followed each insult and she had to accept how wrong she had been and she felt sick.  She had to make it right.

“Can’t someone make her leave?” Fiyero complained. “I want to dance and she’s just ruining everything.”

Galinda sighed and walked away from the people who’s admiration she’d craved. She ignored their cheers, knowing they thought she was going to drive the final stake of humiliation into Elphaba’s heart.  

She cautiously approached the lonely, dancing green girl and as she drew closer, she could see the pain and shame Elphaba was trying so desperately hard to hide and she had to swallow the lump in her throat.

“May I cut in?” Galinda asked softly, stepping up beside Elphaba with a shaky smile on her face. 

Elphaba froze mid step at the familiar voice and she opened her eyes.  Surprise and anger filled her as she saw the bane of her existence standing before her, smiling as if everything was perfectly normal and she hadn’t just destroyed what was left of Elphaba’s dignity.

“Come to finish the job _Miss_ Galinda?” Elphaba sneered.  She was startled by the regret that replaced the insipid smile on the blonde’s face, but she wasn’t about to drop her guard again.

“I…no, I’m not,” Galinda said sadly as she saw the strain in the dark eyes that were far more expressive than she had ever noticed. “Elphaba, I’m so sorry,” she said sincerely.  If Galinda hadn’t seen the clenching of muscles in an angular green jaw, she would have thought the taller girl hadn’t heard her.

Several replies filtered through Elphaba’s mind.  She longed to set loose the frustration and rage that boiled inside of her, to release the magic she could feel pooling in her fingertips that would teach Galinda Upland and her petty little friends what it meant to mock her, but as she looked around the room, seeing the students grinning in anticipation of her falling apart or Galinda humiliating her one more time, she shoved her emotions back down inside. She would be damned a thousand times over before she gave them the satisfaction. 

“For what?” she asked tonelessly.

Galinda could almost feel the others pushing her to tear Elphaba down and she could see in flashing black eyes that Elphaba was waiting for the same thing.

“I’m sorry for…this,” she gestured around them, shame preventing her from actually speaking the reality of what she’d done.  “I’m sorry, for everything,” she said sincerely.

Elphaba looked into Galinda’s eyes and for a split second she though she could see honest remorse, but the echoes of laughter and shouts of green bean and artichoke still rang in her ears and she shook off that ridiculous thought. She wouldn’t be fooled again.

“Is that all?” she asked coolly.

Galinda wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but it wasn’t indifference, especially when she could clearly see Elphaba was barely holding on to her emotions. 

“Elphaba, please let me try to make it right.  Dance with me,” she said, surprising herself as well as the other girl.

“I’m afraid I’m quite danced out for the evening,” Elphaba stated and turned to walk away.

Instinctively, Galinda reached out to Elphaba’s arm, not wanting her to leave things this way, but Elphaba quickly jerked her arm away and Galinda couldn’t deny it hurt. She briefly wondered if this was what Elphaba felt when people did it to her.

“Elphaba, please…”

“Goodnight Miss Upland.  I’m going back to the room. Please try not to make your usual amount of noise when you return.”

And for the first time in her life, Galinda Upland was left standing alone on a dance floor and all she could feel was shame.  Not for being abandoned, but shame for what she’d done to a proud young woman who had done nothing to deserve such treatment and who was clearly all too used to it.

Loud talking filled the silence after Elphaba’s exit before the music thankfully started up again.  She considered returning to Fiyero’s side and pretending the last horrible moments hadn’t happened, but she couldn’t.  She had no desire to listen to any more insults about her roommate and all she wanted was to go after the strange, enigmatic green girl and right every wrong that had ever been done to her, reputation and popularity be damned.   Without looking back, she followed Elphaba out of the ballroom.

* * * * *

Elphaba stormed into her room, and flipped on the light, angrier than she had ever been.  She ripped the stupid black hat off of her head and just barely kept from incinerating it.  She stared at it and remembered every agonizing moment that she had stood on the dance floor being laughed at.  She remembered Galinda giving her the ridiculous thing and insisting she’d look ‘lovely’ in it and that she should definitely come to the dance. Even worse, she remembered the cautious bit of hope that filled her when she first entered Oz Dust, wondering if maybe this one time, she would be finally be welcomed.  It made Elphaba sick just thinking about how incredibly stupid she’d been so, instead of destroying the ugly hat, she would keep it as a reminder to never, _never_ trust anyone again.

Tossing the hat on to her bed she removed her boots and pulled her dress over her head.  Against her will, she walked to the closet and opened the door. Sighing, she looked into Galinda’s floor length mirror staring at herself in her plain bra and underwear.  Her lips lifted in a disgusted sneer as she ran her eyes over her body.  Bony, shapeless and green was all that she saw.  Her detested black hair was pulled back in simple braid, exposing more of her homely, ‘artichoke ‘colored face.   She watched as her eyes grew bright with tears she didn’t want to shed.  The knowledge that even a single tear would burn her painfully, was just another reminder of what a freak she was and why she was destined to forever remain alone and unwanted.  She released her hair, hoping to disguise what she couldn't seem to escape. 

Suddenly the sound of the doorknob turned, startling Elphaba from her darkening thoughts.  She pulled herself together and went to retrieve her nightgown.

“Miss Elphaba?”  Glinda called out as she entered the room, her eyes finding Elphaba immediately and her steps faltered when she saw the half-dressed woman standing by her bed, back to the door.  For a moment, Galinda could barely breath as she stared at the slender body in front of her. It was clear that Elphaba Thropp didn’t get enough to eat, but Galinda was left stunned at how beautiful her roommate truly was.  The white of her bra was a breathtaking contrast to the vibrant green of her back and the long, shiny black hair, falling around her shoulders and who knew she had long, muscular legs that went on forever?  Galinda’s fingers twitched as she wondered if that beautiful hair was as soft as it looked.

“Could you close the door? Or do you want the world to see the vegetable naked,” the tall girl spat, sliding the shapeless nightgown over her head, unaware of the appreciative gaze she had been receiving.

Galinda cringed at the sharpness of Elphaba’s voice, but there was something else underlying that sharpness that caused an ache in Galinda’s chest. She knew the sound of someone fighting not to cry. 

“Please, won’t you listen to me?” She asked softly, closing the door and stepping up beside of her roommate.  She sighed when Elphaba quickly slid into her bed, curling up into herself and facing the wall, clearly intent on ignoring her. 

Galinda considered just giving up.  She tried to apologize and It wasn’t her fault if the stubborn girl wouldn’t listen. Then she heard it.   One tiny little sniff and it ripped through Galinda like a knife. 

“Oh Elphaba,” Galinda sighed sadly, tears stinging her eyes as she relived the entire horrible night and the heartbreaking sight of her roommate’s lost and betrayed expression.    Her eyes fell on the ugly little hat that had caused everything and picked it up, clutching it to her chest.

She wanted to sit beside Elphaba, but knew the other girl wouldn’t tolerate it and, in a rather perverse sort of twist, she feared being rejected. 

“Elphaba, I know you don’t want to talk to me, and I can’t blame you.  I really messed up and I hurt you terribly.”  She paused, hoping for one of her roommate’s acerbic comebacks, and she was disappointed, if not surprised, when she didn’t get one.

“I didn’t really want to do it you know.  I don’t know why I did,” she continued, talking as much to herself as she was to Elphaba. “Yes, I do.  I was a coward. I’ve always been a coward,” she admitted glumly. “I know you won’t understand, or even care, but the truth is, I don’t like who I am on the inside.  I don’t like being mean just to impress people I’m not even sure I want to be friends with.  I just don’t know how else to be,” she said earnestly.   Still, Elphaba said nothing and Galinda wasn’t even sure the girl was still awake, but she needed to lift the weight of guilt from her chest and she needed to lift the burden of shame from Elphaba’s. 

“You’ll laugh at me, well, no you probably won’t, but what I’ve never told you is that I was fascinated by you from the moment we met.”  A stiffening of the lump under the grey blanket told Galinda that Elphaba was indeed awake and was listening and she wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse. 

“It’s true,” she continued, nervously. “You’re so incredibly smart and you’re strong. You stand tall no matter what anyone, no matter what _I’ve_ said or done to you.  I used to think you simply didn’t care what I said and to be honest, that made me crazy, but you do care, don’t you?” she asked sadly, not surprised when she got no response.

“I’m the reason Pfanee and the others think it’s okay to make fun of you,” she confessed, guilt building up in her throat and making her voice raspier than it had ever been.  “At first I was just acting like a spoiled brat because I didn’t get the single room I had wanted and I took it out on you. The others followed everything I did and I thrived on their approval.  Then it became jealousy.  I can hear you rolling your eyes from here you know,” she added with a small, shaky smile. “it’s true though. I was jealous of your intelligence and how focused you were on everything.  I was jealous of how you lived your life not caring a whit what anyone thought of you and I resented it.”

“Do you really think that just because my skin is green, I have no feelings?” the muffled angry voice startled Galinda.

“No, of course not,” Galinda insisted urgently.  “Well, at first I did,” she admitted guiltily, “but only because you acted like you didn’t.”

Elphaba had listened to Galinda ramble, wishing she would take her sad eyes and sad voice and just leave her in peace, but the unexpected admission that Galinda had been jealous of her had startled as well as angered her and she finally sat up and faced her nemesis.

“And pray tell me, Miss Galinda, had I collapsed in tears each time you or your friends insulted me, would that have made you stop?”

Galinda was briefly diverted by the rare sight of Elphaba’s midnight hair falling messily over one eye.  She found it incredibly pretty, but the hurt showing in the one eye she could see, returned her focus back to Elphaba’s question and she imagined what would have happened had Elphaba broken down in front of Galinda and her friends.  Instantly, she knew that Elphaba’s life would have become so much worse, if they knew they had hurt her.

“No,” she admitted glumly. 

Elphaba shook her head, only surprised that the blonde would willingly admit it.  “You and your friends are so proud of yourselves,” she said quietly.  “You think you’re so witty with your cutting remarks, but your insults aren’t new. I’ve heard them my entire life from everyone, including my own family, so I know full well what showing any weakness at all accomplishes.  That doesn’t mean I don’t feel it.”

Galinda’s eyes slid closed as Elphaba spoke, picturing a sad little girl being taunted by her own family, never knowing love or friendship and she couldn’t bear it. 

“Oh Elphie…Elphaba,” she corrected quickly, “I know you have feelings and I’m so sorry that I hurt you. Not just tonight but all the other times.”

Elphaba studied her roommate for a long minute before dropping her head.  “It doesn’t matter Galinda.  Just forget it.”

Galinda saw Elphaba retreating again and she had a horrible feeling that if she let that happen, the lonely green girl would never come out of her shell again.   She quickly moved to Elphaba’s bed.

 “I can’t forget it,” she said quickly.   “I can’t forget seeing what my selfishness and stupidity did to you tonight.  I can’t forget seeing you standing there all alone, looking so…” she stopped, unable to continue.

Elphaba heard the hiss of burning skin before she felt the pain as a tear slid down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, ignoring the sting in her fingertips and sat up to face her tormentor once more.

“What is you want Galinda? Forgiveness?” Elphaba asked almost desperately. “If I give it to you, will you let it be and let me go to sleep?”

Galinda smiled sadly. “No, because I know you won’t mean it.  I…” she paused when she saw what looked to be a large welt on Elphaba’s cheek.  Frowning, she reached out to touch it, not really surprised when the skittish girl drew away.

“What are you doing?” Elphaba scowled.

“What happened to your cheek?” Galinda asked in reply, noticing the dampness in the impossibly dark eyes and a horrible thought crossed her mind.  “Were you crying?”

Elphaba stiffened.  “No,” she muttered.

“You were and…Oz Elphie, did a tear do this?”

Elphaba turned her face away and Galinda’s heart clenched.  Feeling a confidence that she hadn’t felt up until then, she reached out again and took the pointed green chin in her hand and pulled the haunting face back to hers.   “Elphaba, tell me.”

Elphaba shivered at the feel of Galinda’s soft fingers on her face.  As she looked into Galinda’s pleading eyes, she felt herself weakening and she couldn’t let it happen.  She pulled her chin free.

“If it means you’ll leave me alone, then yes, you made me cry, does that make you feel better? You got what you wanted.”

And with that Galinda’s heart shattered.  “No. Elphaba, no it doesn’t make me happy at all and it wasn’t what I wanted.  Does crying...hurt you?”

“Water of any kind hurts me Miss Upland,” Elphaba retorted coldly, deciding she might as well tell her now. It would be discovered eventually anyway.  “I am allergic to water and even the smallest amount results in welts or worse.  There, now you have something else to use against me.  Can I go to bed now?”

Almost as if making up for what Elphaba couldn’t do, a tear slid down Galinda’s cheek as the enormity of everything that this poor girl had to endure, sunk in.  “You truly are the most amazing person I’ve ever met,” she said shakily.

“Stop it,” Elphaba snapped, struggling to hold on to what little composure she still had left.

“I mean it,” Galinda insisted, taking Elphaba’s trembling hand. 

“What are you playing at now, Galinda?” Elphaba said coldly, trying to scoot as far away from the disturbing blonde as she could get.

Galinda saw the fear in Elphaba’s eyes as she pushed herself up against the wall.  “I’m not playing at anything,” she insisted.

“What’s your plan this time?  You get me to cry and reveal all my weaknesses and then your idiot friends burst through the door to laugh at me some more?  Will there be pictures in the school paper that you can post all around Shiz? Or maybe they can throw a bucket of water at me to see how allergic I really am.”

Galinda wanted to roll her eyes and call Elphaba overdramatic, but she couldn’t. She could see how afraid the girl was of that very thing, and Galinda had only herself to blame. 

“No Elphaba,” she answered sadly. “I know you won’t believe me, but this isn’t a trick.  I swear on everything that means anything to me, I don’t want to hurt you anymore.  I never truly did.  In fact, you are the one person here I should be trying to impress, not Pfanee or the others who don’t have a single brain between them.”  Her heart fluttered a little at the soft snort Elphaba couldn’t hold in.

“Why in Oz would you want to impress me or anyone else?” Elphaba asked, forgetting for a moment, that she was mad at the other girl.

Galinda opened her mouth but realized she had no reply.

“Look, for what it’s worth, coming from a vegetable, it seems to me that trying to impress other people and live up to what they expect of you hasn’t made you that happy. Maybe doing the opposite would.”

Galinda frowned as she considered Elphaba’s words, ignoring the word vegetable for now.   Nobody had ever encouraged her to think for herself before.  In fact, everyone she’d ever known had pressed her to do the opposite, regardless of what made her happy.   Now this one girl, a girl Galinda had hurt so often and so cruelly, was doing just that.

“Why would you care what makes me happy?” she blurted in confusion.

Elphaba stiffened. “Who says I do?” she muttered. “Now…go away.”

Galinda sighed, knowing she’d somehow insulted Elphaba again, this time unintentionally.  “Elphaba, I didn’t mean whatever you’re thinking.  I just meant, after everything I’ve done to you, you still…never mind,” she shook her head and found herself really looking at the previous bane of her existence.  Dark hair falling around her shoulders, big, expressive dark eyes watching her with an intensity nobody ever had before and then a realization struck her like a lightening bolt. 

“Why Miss Elphaba, you’re beautiful,” she whispered and then horror struck her when tears sprung to those same dark eyes.

“You really are heartless,” Elphaba breathed, ignoring the burning on her cheeks.   Since Galinda wouldn’t move, she tried to stand up, having no idea where she could go, but unwilling to stay in the same room any longer.  To her shock, a warm hand grabbed her forearm, keeping her in place.

“Elphaba, stop,” Galinda urged, tears in her own eyes. She saw a tear fall and to her horror, smoke rose from a green cheek, leaving another welt beside the other. She quickly reached out and wiped the wetness away before it could do more damage.

“Oh, please Elphie,” she begged, “please don’t cry. I wasn’t making fun of you. I swear it.”  Her thumb continued to stroke against skin that was softer and warmer than she had imagined.  “You are beautiful.”

“Stop saying that,” Elphaba choked. She wanted to pull away from the pale hand on her face, but couldn’t move.

“No, dear Elphaba,” Galinda replied with a soft smile, even as the violent trembling she could feel beneath her hand broke her heart.  “Now that I’ve seen it, I won’t stop telling you.  You’re skin is green, yes, but what I see now, is that it’s a beautiful, warm shade of green that makes me think of a sunny spring day.  You’re eyes are so dark I can almost see everything in them, including the emotions you guard so closely and your hair…” she reluctantly removed her hand from a soft cheek only to touch even softer hair.  “Your hair, I’ve never seen any like it,” she mused. “Black as midnight touched with blue and it’s so soft…like the finest silk.”

Elphaba didn’t understand what was happening or why Galinda was saying these things, but her stomach was twisting painfully inside of her.

“You’re touching me,” Elphaba whispered, lost in her confusion.

“Please don’t tell me that nobody has ever comforted you before,” Galinda replied brokenly. “I don’t think I could bear it.”

Shame made it hard for Elphaba to swallow. “Okay, I won’t tell you.”

At that, Galinda couldn’t hold back a sob and all she wanted was to pull the surprisingly vulnerable girl into her arms, but she knew Elphaba wasn’t ready for that. 

“Oh Oz,” she sighed, taking a green hand in hers.

“I don’t need or want your pity,” Elphaba snapped, tugging at her hand, but Galinda refused to let go.

“I could never pity someone as strong as you,” Galinda told her honestly. “I admire you and I will spend the rest of our time here at Shiz doing everything I can to make you believe it.”

“Why?” Elphaba saw the sincerity in the teary blue eyes watching her and felt it in the firm grip of the smaller, softer hand, but she was too afraid to believe her.

“Because,” Galinda said simply, feeling a thrill of something as she saw an almost perceptible twitch of dark green lips.

“Well that explains everything,” Elphaba replied drily, desperate to regain her indifference before this small girl totally broke her.

“Elphie, I want to be better and I know that being your friend will make me better. You will challenge me, you will argue and you will always tell me the truth.”

All Elphaba heard was one word. “Friend?” she asked warily.

“Yes.  Friend,” Galinda smiled. “I’d like for us to be friends.  You can keep me from becoming the selfish beast I was close to being and maybe I can help you be popular?”   The dark scowl she received told Galinda she had made another mistake.

“I have no desire to be ‘popular’,” Elphaba retorted, “or to have any interactions with your group of friends and they would dance a waltz with all of Munchkinland before they would ever accept me.”  

Galinda wanted to argue, but she couldn’t. Pfanee, Shenshen, and possibly even Fiyero, would never let Elphaba become anything but a pariah. “What of me?” she asked nervously. “Does that include me?”

Elphaba narrowed her eyes as she studied the pretty, popular blonde girl who’d humiliated her, then cried for her all in the same night.

“I don’t understand you, one tiny bit,” she admitted after a long moment, “and in the spirit of honesty, I find it hard to trust you.”

Galinda’s heart sank. “I understand,” she sighed.  “And I can’t say that I blame you. I’ll leave you alone now.” She started to stand, but this time she was the one stopped by a hand on her arm.

“You probably should let me finish,” Elphaba chided, a surprising hint of humor in her voice. “I don’t completely trust you, no, but I think that maybe…I suppose I’m not entirely opposed to interacting with you.”

For a second, Galinda was captivated by the sight of long green fingers against her own pale skin and the warm gentleness she felt, but then Elphaba’s words sunk in and she met those honest dark eyes with a tentative smile.  Her stilted words had to be the most honest compliment she’d heard since arriving at Shiz.

“Thank you,” she replied sincerely, her heart filling with a warmth and peace that was completely new to her.  “I swear you won’t regret it Elphie and even if you don’t want to be popular, I will make sure that one day soon, you finally see how beautiful and wonderful you are.”

Elphaba wanted to push Galinda away, she wanted to run away and hide until she rebuilt the walls that the blonde was gradually eroding, but all she did was sigh.

“You’re going to call me Elphie forever, aren’t you?”

“As long as you’ll let me,” Galinda said, squeezing the warm hand in hers.  

The End

 


End file.
